Fall
by AIK2
Summary: Alna Smith simply went on a walk in the park one day. After that She wakes up in a strange world TWICE. How will she get back home? And will she want to in the end? Rated for some curses and future chapters. Please read and review. Ch. 7 is up, finally!
1. The Walk

**Fall**

**A/N: This is my very **_**first**_** story, so be nice. I would appreciate if you read and review. Hopefully my grammar isn't -too- bad. Now to disclaimer; I do not own World of Warcraft. Blizzard does. I only own my plot and characters. The first few chapters might be somewhat slow. I will try to stick to the lore as much as possible. Any and all non-playable-characters in my story are owned by blizzard. Also I do not own the song my character was singing. **

It was like every other day in the summer: boring. I woke up, ate breakfast, and read a book for a few hours.

Eventually I became bored of my book, so, sighing, I closed my book and looked outside. It was a cloudy day, "That means I won't die of heat if I go outside," I thought with a smile.

Simply to see how cool it was outside, I opened the door to the back yard and stuck my head out. Immediately I shivered in my nightdress and closed the back door.

"Strange…" I thought as I went upstairs to my room. Usually, It's too hot to go outside, and when it is cloudy, the breeze isn't that cold. "It almost felt like being in London again…" I mused as I started remembering that one evening visit to London.

I opened my large closet and started looking for something comfortable to wear. "Too frilly… Too girly… Too dark… Too big… Too small…" I muttered for each piece of clothing that was 'too' something.

"Hmm…" I held up my favorite simple, dark green shirt and brown skirt. I looked outside through my window, "I need some pants and a jacket…"

Eventually I found some long, darker brown pants and my plain dark gray (almost black) jacket.

Quickly, I put on my clothes and walked toward the stairs. Thinking, I stopped on the top stair. I quickly went back up and poked my head into my brother's room. He wasn't there, "Lifeguard duty… probably." I muttered.

There was no one at home to tell that I was going on a walk, so I simply went on my walk in peace. If someone came home before I did, they would call me on my cell phone.

I pulled the jacket closer on me the moment I stepped outside. It was still cool in the jacket, but I would survive one walk.

As I walked to the park, I listened to nature intently. Something was off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

I looked up at the cloudy sky and sniffed the air. "It will rain later today." I murmured. Don't ask me how I knew. I always could tell if anything would fall out of the sky before by just sniffing and watching.

Silence. That's the only thing I heard until I became somewhat bored with silence. Simply to break the silence, I started humming "Hoist the Colours".

When I got to the park, I found that it was almost empty except for a few people.

I wanted to see if I could figure out what was wrong with nature today, so I went on the nature trail.

The forest was silent while I was on the path. The moment I stepped off it to go to my favorite, secret clearing, the forest burst with the sounds of birds, chipmunks, squirrels, and others.

Pausing, I listened to all of the sounds before carrying on. The birds seemed to sing somberly; their singing made me start to voice out the words for "Hoist the Colours".

"_The king and his men,__  
><em>_Stole the Queen from her bed,__  
><em>_And bound her in her Bones,__  
><em>_The seas be ours,__  
><em>_And by the powers,__  
><em>_Where we will, we'll roam._

_Yo, ho all hands__  
><em>_Hoist the colors high__  
><em>_Heave ho, thieves and beggars__  
><em>_Never shall we die"_

I trudged into my clearing and stopped singing abruptly when I saw a huge, wild wolf standing in the middle of the clearing.

Immediately, I froze and stared at the wolf in terror. A million thoughts burst in my mind. "What should I do?" I thought, as I looked it in its amazing, blue eyes. "Don't look it in the eyes." I thought again, but it was too hard to tear my gaze from its eyes.

The wolf showed its teeth in what _looked_ like a smile, but I wasn't sure. I stepped back in fear. Immediately, the wolf stopped showing its teeth and laid down on it's side in what clearly was a non-aggressive gesture.

I was still somewhat frightened, but now I knew the wolf –probably- won't eat me.

Another cool breeze washed over me and I shivered again.

"You have a wondrous voice." A low voice said in my mind. It seemed to have a British accent.

Terrified, I looked at the wolf, "You… you can talk?"

The wolf seemed to make a laughing-sound, "Most creatures can speak. They just need a connection."

"C… connection?" I managed to say.

"Anything would do, really. This world simply has a weak connection, so most animals here probably don't know about the connection."

My breathing was starting to even out, "You still didn't answer what the connection is."

The wolf sat up a bit. "My apologize. The connection to the Dream. The Emerald Dream."

I raised an eyebrow, but when he didn't answer, I sighed and sat down at the base of a tree.

"This reminds me. We haven't introduced ourselves. I'm Ven."

"Nice to meet you Ven. I'm Alna Smith." I smiled at Ven.

The wolf stood up and bent one of its paws while bending down. "The pleasure is all mine, Alna." Then he sat back down

We continued talking for about an hours. It went from question to answer to opinion. We struck a friendship in just an hour. Eventually, I had no more questions, and a silence washed over us again. The forest stopped making noise at all.

The wolf sniffed the air before asking me a question, "The song you were singing. It's very somber, but beautiful. Can you tell me about it?"

I smiled my light smile. "It's called 'Hoist the Colours', and it's a song for and about pirates, thieves, beggars, and outlaws in general. I didn't finish singing it before; I ended on the first verse."

"You have a wondrous voice," he repeated himself from before. "I'd very much like to hear you finish it," he said with a smile in his voice.

My grin grew a little wider, "alright." I cleared my throat quietly.

"_The king and his men,__  
><em>_Stole the Queen from her bed,__  
><em>_And bound her in her Bones,__  
><em>_The seas be ours,__  
><em>_And by the powers,__  
><em>_Where we will, we'll roam._

The wolf started to sway a little with the song. The forest is still oddly silent.

_Yo, ho all hands__  
><em>_hoist the colours high__  
><em>_heave ho, thieves and beggars__  
><em>_never shall we die__  
><em>_Yo Ho, haul together,__  
><em>_Hoist the colours high,__  
><em>_Heave Ho, Thieves and Beggars,__  
><em>_Never Shall We Die!_

After the first verse, the birds seemed to start singing with me. It really did seem as if the birds were singing to this song.

_Some men have died,__  
><em>_And some are alive,__  
><em>_And others sail on the sea,__  
><em>_With the keys to the cage...__  
><em>_And the Devil to pay,__  
><em>_We lay to Fiddler's Green!_

The breeze came back again, but this breeze wasn't as cold as the last ones. This breeze was strange: it came from the wrong direction, and it smelled of a different kind of trees. I shook it off as I continued singing.

_Yo Ho haul, together,__  
><em>_Hoist the colours high__  
><em>_Heave Ho, Thieves and Beggars,__  
><em>_Never Shall We Die!_

_The Bell has been raised,__  
><em>_From it's watery grave...__  
><em>_Do you hear it's sepulchral tone?__  
><em>_We are a call to all,__  
><em>_Pay heed the squall,__  
><em>_And turn your sail toward home!"_

The wolf's ears perked up at the last word, and he sniffed the air again.

_Yo Ho haul, together,__  
><em>_Hoist the colours high__  
><em>_Heave Ho, Thieves and Beggars,__  
><em>_Never Shall We Die!"_

The moment after I finished the song, the wind seemed to be pulling me toward something. There was a strange hum in the air. The wolf looked at me as I tried to hold to the tree root, "Something is calling you. You should answer the call, or spend the rest of your life wondering what would have happened."

I was never a person who ran off into certain danger: I avoided danger like the plague. My logical mind said that this was a strange call and I shouldn't go. My instincts told me otherwise, but I always listened to logic more. I opened my mouth to say no to the wolf who already stood up, but the most beautiful and odd melody struck in through the hum in the air. The melody wiped most logical thought out of my mind.

I let go of the root and stood up quietly from the base of the tree. Looking northward, I listened for the melody.

The wolf obviously heard the melody too. He looked sad and homesick. Throughout our entire talk, I didn't ask him what a wolf, like he, was doing so far away from any large, normal forest. The question never came into my mind before. Now seemed like an awful time to ask, so I kept my mouth shut.

The wolf sniffed the air again before starting a quick trot toward the melody. With each step, the melody became louder.

The wolf disappeared through some bushes and I hastily followed. When I emerged from the bushes, I stopped. My breath caught in my throat. We found the source of the melody, which was an archway made from tree roots. In the archway was a natural green, emerald, and dark blue light.

It was very stunning. The only thing I could do was walk up next to Ven who was already staring in front of the archway. Hours seemed to pass in minutes as we stood there listening.

The music started slowing down, but the wind came back again. It started pulling at me again. The logic was still not back in my mind, so I listened to my instincts and touched the light.

Immediately, the light engulfed me. What followed was what—at the time—I believed was the strangest dream I've ever had. And believe me, I had _strange_ dreams.

**A/n: Honestly, please review. Next chapter will be up either tomorrow or the next day.**


	2. Fall to the Dream

The Emerald Dream

**A/N: The beginning chapters will be somewhat slow. The real adventure will start in the next or the chapter after the next. By the by, I would like to thank ****swanandrew**** for being the very **_**first **_**person to review. It really warms a new writer's heart to see a review. Thanks again. ****Disclaimer: once again I do not own World of Warcraft. Also I do not own 'Siren Song' from the Tsubasa Chronicles soundtrack. 'Siren Song' is similar to the melody Alna hears, but the person who plays it uses only the flute, and the melody in the story is longer.**

Falling… I was falling.

Without opening my eyes, I thought, "The same dream… I'll wake up soon enough."

Minutes passed and I didn't feel the softness of my bed. I didn't feel myself fall back into reality.

Simple curiosity opened my eyes, and they widened immediately. I was falling, yes; but I was falling slowly. It was almost as if… as if I was gliding down.

I've always had a dream where I simply fell from an endless sky. This dream-it seemed-didn't want to end as easily as the rest. I didn't want it to end either. The beauty of this dream was breathtaking.

I felt as light as a feather on the moon. It was a good feeling, and I've never felt _this_ light before. I'm not saying I'm fat, not at all. I felt this lightness in my heart. It was like having all worries erased from my heart.

I spread my arms wide to see if that would do anything. It did: I seemed to fall slower, and I seemed to have more control.

I couldn't unglue my eyes from the clouds and mountains and forests. It was like going back in time just to see untouched wilderness.

The clouds had a natural green tinge to them. They were fluffy and big like huge cotton balls. I floated above, below, in between, and through them. Some of the clouds seemed to glow with soft light. As I was twirling in the air, my eyes fell on the horizon. Dark, swirling clouds were there. Lightning flashed through them. About half a minute later, the thunder came. I did the easy calculations in my head, "6 miles away… hopefully it'll change course." I said in my head.

The mountains jutted here and there; most of them had misty tops. The air seemed to shimmer and glitter on the tops almost as if someone was throwing glitter across all of the tops. Some mountains were huge; others were as small as hills. The glittering mountains seemed mysterious, but I was too far from any mountains to really examine their mystery. I went back to gazing on the rest of the land.

The forests stretched as far as the eye could see. They were green and lush and full of life. Some of the trees were normal, but others were _huge_. In fact, they were so huge that I was at their topmost branch when I just started my fall. The huge trees weren't the only ones that were strange. Some trees were green and normal colored; while others where purple.

The closer I got to the ground, the more I could see. Some things just seemed to materialize right in front of my eyes. The more I looked, the more there was to see. Now I could see a lake a little distance away. The air above the lake glittered in a similar way as the air around the mountaintops. I squinted my eyes a bit, and I was amazed I could see the air above the lake clearly. My eyesight was never this good.

The glittering air was actually a swarm of emerald birds. I really wanted to go there and inspect clearly, but I was distracted.

Even though I was still some way away from the ground, I could already hear the gentle sounds of the forest. The birds singing; the monkeys hollering; the insects serenading; and the melody was back.

I tilted myself a little to the right and started to glide down toward the melody. Lighting flashed again, but this time the thunder came 18 seconds later. The clouds—it seemed—were even darker and more ominous than before.

"I—," I almost dropped out of the skies in surprise. My voice was different. It was hoarse. I continued my thought in more quiet voice, "-honestly hope that storm will change it's course." The song erased my worries again.

I swayed from side to side to the melody. I even made a loop in the wind.

The melody seemed to be coming from a huge, ancient tree. It seemed to have water pouring out of it. What seemed like a Japanese shrine was jutting out of it.

As I kept coming closer to the treetops, I noticed that there were other trees that were similar to this one.

My feet brushed against the topmost tree leaves before the trees ended. I dived down gently and quickly. I landed right in front of the tree.

Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the tree trunk started 10 feet off the ground. The roots were holding it up. Under the trunk seemed to be a small, peaceful glade with shimmering water all around.

The harmonious tune continued, so I looked around for the source. Eventually I looked up and spotted something… someone.

The most brilliant, young _woman_ was sitting on one of the branches. She was playing a wooden flute with her eyes closed.

I sat down a quietly stared at her beautiful face. She didn't seem human at all. She had dark purple skin and dark blue hair. Her skin shined in the bright moonlight. Her long hair flowed magnificently with the breeze as she sung her song through the flute.

"Moonlight…" I realized quietly that it was night already.

She had a near perfect face with high cheekbones and full cheeks and lips. She had a straight nose that absolutely did not bend anywhere. Her nose had a high bridge, so it almost seemed as if her nose just started with a straight slightly slanted, straight line down from her forehead. Her ears were impossibly long and pointy. "Elf!" I quietly realized.

Quietly, she played long, heart touching notes on her flute as I watched and listened. Even though she played quietly, the song seemed to echo throughout the forest. After a time, my eyes closed and I swayed to the song.

The song did come to a close after what seemed like hours of peace and harmony. I slowly opened my eyes to find the woman still didn't open her eyes, but she was facing me. "That was beautiful." I voiced my awe with my hoarse voice. Once again I didn't understand why my voice was this way.

A chuckle that sounded like jingling bells followed, "It's not often a druid who doesn't know her own form comes my way." Her voice was kind and young.

"Form? What do you mean?" I croaked out.

She smiled widely and giggled a bit, "Look down."

I did and I jumped back and fell over. I saw dirty-blonde feathers all over my now smaller and bird-like body. And I had _wings._ "I—I'm a bird?"

She giggled loudly, "You're a druid."

I tried to stand back up and sighed, "What's a druid?"

"Nature's keepers. You could say a 'natural' mage." She chuckled lightly at her own joke.

I closed my eyes and pinched my arms. I opened my eyes and found myself still in the clearing. The elf raised her eyebrows while her eyes were still closed. "You're not asleep. You're in the Emerald Dream."

"If I'm in a dream, how can I be awake?"

"Not 'a' dream: 'the' dream. You're a druid, but you're time for hibernation hasn't come yet. I'm not even sure why you're here. Perhaps you wanted an answer to a question?"

I shook my head, "I still have no idea what you are talking about. I don't know what the Emerald dream is. I don't know why I'm here. I know I'm not a druid. And I only remember taking a walk in the park."

The elf is listening intently. I breathe for a moment before continuing, "I remember listening to the forest; it was singing somberly. I started singing with it when I walked into my clearing. A white wolf that could talk in my head was sitting there."

The elf nods and motions for me to continue. I sigh, "I remember hearing your song. The wolf, Ven, told me that I should listen to my instincts. I did, so I followed him until we got to an archway that was made of tree roots."

The elf sits up a little and her ears are now pointed toward me as if she is afraid to miss anything that I have to say. "There were emerald, natural green, and dark blue lights in the archway. I touched it and I woke up while falling from the skies."

I looked toward the elf, "Falling from the skies? A portal was never in the skies…" She furrows her eyebrows, "I don't know what has happened, and I can't send you back to the exact same place you came from." She turns her head skyward before turning back to me, "There's no portal there now."

Panic started rising to my voice, "I can't go home then? I'm stuck here?"

The elf's voice was kind and calming, "Not at this time, no. I still didn't learn how to open portals to places where I've never been." Earth-shaking thunder rolled again, and the elf finally opened her eyes.

Her eyes were large, silvery, and they _glowed. _"I can give you a chance to find a mage. I'll open a portal. Follow the road and your instincts." She looked alarmed when another roll of thunder shook the earth slightly. She stood on her tree branch and started chanting something in a different language.

A sphere that looked like a huge mirror formed in front of me. "Go!" the elf urgently yelled over the thunder. I stepped forward and touched the sphere with my beak. The last thing I saw before the light engulfed me was the elf jumping down and turning into a green drake, and darkness falling as the dark clouds finally came.

This time—instead of waking up in the sky—I found myself in a long dark expanse of, "Nothing." The word 'nothing' echoed around before a shimmering road materialized under my feet. The road seemed to be constructing itself as I was standing there, watching. Looking down, I happily realized I was human again.

As the road stretched on and on, I speculated, "It'll take a while to get to the end of this road." I started walking slowly. As I walked, the road seemed to branch out in random places.

Something tugged at my mind and gut as another branch of the road materialized to the left of me. I stopped and looked. This road went down slightly, and at the end of it, I saw an oval. This oval seemed to show me where it would lead. "Follow your instincts," I remembered what she said. I turned and followed the road.

A while later, I found myself, staring, in front of the oval. It showed me a foggy, dark, and wet forest. The forest seemed quiet and eerie, and I didn't really want to go there. "Maybe there'll be mages in some of the other portals." I started to turn back to the road when a flash of white fur caught my eye. Immediately I turned back a looked for the flash again. It came much closer than I anticipated. This time I could even see its eyes: they were blue. This was obviously the wolf I met before.

With most my doubts gone, I closed my eyes and stepped forward into the portal.

After feeling like I was being pressed together from all sides, the feeling stopped and cool air hit my uncovered face and ankles.

I opened my eyes to find Ven looking up at me while wagging his tail. I chuckled. Even if he was a well-mannered wolf, he was still like a simple dog.

I couldn't resist the urge to pet his head.

While I was petting, a heard several twigs snapping. Someone was approaching, but it did sound like someone in boots. Ven seemed relaxed, so I didn't panic… much.

**A/N: Read and Review please. This is the second chapter of my very **_**first**_** story **_**ever**_**. I will listen to your ideas to what should happen in the next chapter because I'm still brainstorming the finer details. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And yes, I do realize the part where the elf said that she is a druid was cliche... in a way.**


	3. The Beggining

**A/N: Sorry for not updating for so long! My muse apparently works best at 3 A.M. Also, I've expanded and stretched some places in the World of Warcraft. I've added some building in some places, or I've just stretched the land to be a little longer. Also, if any Brits read this story, sorry if the slang isn't correct. Please correct me if I'm wrong in any of the slang. For everyone else, the definition for the slang is at the bottom. Disclaimer: I do not own World of Warcraft or any NPC's. I do, however, own my story.**

Chapter 3: The Beggining

The long barrel of a gun came into view.

I froze in fear. Ven growled lowly, and the gun was lowered. A man came into view. He still had his gun raised, but at least it wasn't directly pointed at my heart. He looked at me for a moment and then Ven; they seemed to have a quiet conversation for a few minutes. That gave me enough time to commit the man's features into my memory.

He had black hair that came down a little past his ears. It looked like he didn't wash his head in a while since it had leaves, dried mud, and something that looked horribly like dried blood. I honestly didn't want to think how the blood got there, so I moved on and started studying the rest of his face.

He had light skin and stormy gray eyes. His face showed that he was mature; his little beard said otherwise. He looked just a little older than me. I sighed inwardly; I was always the youngest in my school. "Hopefully I won't be youngest in collage… if I ever get back…" I quietly thought.

His face had sharp features. His eyes looked at me every now and then while he was having his 'mind conversation' with Ven. He had small scars on his face; most of them were on the side of his face. Some of them looked like claw marks. If I didn't look closely, I wouldn't have even noticed them.

He snorted quietly. He looked at my clothes curiously for a moment before looking back at Ven who seemed to be chuckling. Hopefully he didn't notice that I was staring.

My eyes traveled down his lean and muscular arms to the gun he was holding. It looked like some kind of old gun to me, a musket maybe; but I didn't know much about guns. I did start noticing the rest of his weapons and his armor.

He had one sword strapped to his belt on each side. The swords were long and slightly curved. I couldn't tell how sharp they were because they were sheathed. Strapped to his left side, he had a round pouch of what probably was ammunition for his gun. I knew muskets needed a stick to reload the gun. I didn't see the stick, so the gun probably wasn't a musket.

Ven sniffed the air now.

He was wearing a hard, dark leather tunic that seemed as if it was made for him, and he was wearing long, darker, probably leather pants. His black boots came up halfway to his knee. He had a dark brown coat that seemed Victorian styled. The coat was covered in mud, and it was ripped in a few places. The coat was probably really opulent before he started using it.

Ven seemed to be laughing, but since I wasn't looking at the man's face, I didn't notice his huge grin.

I was about to start studying his lean form, but he cleared his throat. I looked up to find him looking at me. I stared back. If there ever was something I was good at, staring someone down would be that something.

He stared for what seemed like a minute before he started talking. "Who are you?" He had a gruff voice that had a –really- strong British accent that somewhat reminded me my past Language Arts teacher: Mr. Devitt.

I stared a little more at him before answering quietly, "Alna Smith." The moment I said it, I almost swore at myself for giving my full name to a stranger-man. He stared at me for a moment longer (probably thinking what a stupid girl I am for giving my entire name to a stranger) before he responded.

He lowered his gun slightly and nodded a little, "Nathaniel Crowle."

Another long pause ensued. He didn't seem to know what to do with me; he just stared. The staring continued for several minutes, and I was starting to feel uncomfortable. Usually people stopped staring back if I stared them down. This person didn't even seem the least bit uncomfortable from my staring.

I sighed as the silence stretched. From the corner of my eye I could see Ven wagging his tail happily like a dog.

I sighed again and looked around. For the first time, I actually noticed the creepiness of this forest. It was dark, wet, and foggy. Cobwebs covered almost every dark tree branch.

A cold breeze came again, and I shuddered. As I looked around more, I noticed that most of the trees had almost no leaves. I looked up a little.

The sky that I could see through the tree branches was gray and cloudy.

I shuddered again. The more I looked around; the more afraid I became. I only looked back at the man when I heard him clearing his throat.

"Who are you really?" he asked again in his gruff voice. At my puzzled look he continued, "I know everyone in the Village. No one e'er dares a venture into The Blackwald." He looks at Ven for a moment before looking back at me.

"I'm Alna Smith," I repeated and looked around again. Thankfully my fear still didn't reach my voice, "I have absolutely no idea where I am though."

He looked at Ven again for a moment before looking back at me. "You've ne'er heard of The Blackwald?"

I shook my head, "No."

He blinked, "What about Stormglen Village?" I shook my head again. He stared a little, "Duskhaven? Keel Harbor?" I shook my head. "Gilneas?"

I shook my head again, "No." He just stared, bewildered.

He blinked a few times, "What of Azeroth? Surely you've heard of Azeroth." I shook my head again; he simply stared for a whole minute. "Did you live in a cave for your entire life?"

Both Ven and I snorted at the same time. Some of the fear left me now. Ven gave him a look that clearly said, "Does she look like she lived in a cave her entire life?"

He chuckled as another cold breeze floated by. I shivered again and he stared at my clothes. He seemed to want to comment about the clothes, but he stopped as I shivered again. Instead, he said, "Follow me." I didn't move and just stared. If there was one thing I learned in my life, not following complete strangers was one of them.

He sighed, "It'll be bad if you catch a lurgy." He stared at my clothes for a moment, "Better to follow me or risk getting lost outside at night." He turned and went back through the way he came. Ven looked at me once before following his master. "Follow your instincts," Ven seemed to say as he ran toward his master. I didn't hear his low voice in my mind, but I understood what he said. I couldn't explain it at that time.

I sighed and muttered; "The last time I followed my instincts I ended up here… and what in the world is a lurgy?"

As I shivered again, I heard the distant howl of feral wolves. I froze for a moment before quickly trotting to Nathaniel. I didn't know if all wolves could really talk. I didn't even know if it depended on whether they were tamed or not. I didn't want to find out.

I did catch up to him quickly enough, and I followed close behind. I only occasionally tripped on some tree roots and rocks. Every time I tripped, Ven would come to me and help me stand again. Nathaniel simply stared every time I tripped. Until finally, when I tripped again, he stopped, turned, and helped me up. "Have you ne'er walked in a forest?" he asked exasperatedly.

I looked at him, "I did walk in forests before," I said defensively.

"Stop tripping then." He continued on.

"Hmph." I was only tripping because I was looking around and trying to memorize the area.

We walked for a while until I sighed and came a little closer to him, "What's a lurgy by the way?" He snorted, but he didn't say anything for a moment

"Only young uns ask that usually." I glared at him a little. He chuckled, "A lurgy is an illness. A… a cold I suppose."

I sighed, "I learn something new every day." In my mind I was thinking, "Should've asked Mr. Devitt about British slang words…"

At that time I somewhat believed I was dreaming of being in old Britain.

We continued walking in silence for about thirty more minutes. I tripped a lot less now. I looked around again and noticed Ven was gone. "Where's Ven?"

He looked back at me, "You already know his nickname, huh?" He looked around, "He probably started hunting for his dinner when we passed those rabbit holes."

My stomach growled silently at me. Thankfully, he didn't seem to notice. The sky was becoming darker, and the forest was becoming more foreboding. I simply wanted to quickly get out of the forest while there was still some light.

Considering the light, we were going mostly north.

We walked for about 20 more minutes until darkness fell completely. The forest seemed to come alive—not in a good way, mind you. Nathaniel stopped and listened, "Damn." I heard him quietly mutter.

I walked up beside him, "What's wrong?" I asked with some fear in my voice. I cursed quietly in my mind. I honestly hate it when my fear reaches my voice because people always start treating me like a child then.

He looked at me, "I hope you don't mind running." He looked and listened again, "Don't stop running if anything happens." I looked around fearfully, and he took off a moment later. I hastily followed.

It was completely and utterly dark in the forest. Somehow, though, I managed not to fall over. I simply followed the sound of Nathaniel's footfalls because I honestly couldn't see him very well.

Within minutes, we arrived at his home in a clearing next to a wall of earth: a cliff. It was a fairly small house, and it looked old and breaking in some places. I thought it was built in a gothic or Victorian style, but I knew almost nothing about architecture, so I couldn't judge really. The wood it was made from was gray—probably from age. The roof of the house was dark, almost black. I couldn't really tell what color it really was in this darkness.

He walked up to the door and quickly unlocked all of the locks. I must've heard about five clicks before he opened the door and urgently urged me to go in, "Quickly."

I came inside quickly. Inside, I breathed in slowly; the house smelled musty, rotting, and dusty. I crinkled my nose a little. Looking around I saw a small, cluttered table next to a fireplace. The table was wooden, but it looked like I would get a splinter if a put my hand on the table. The chairs next to the table had little cloth pieces on them—probably to avoid splinters on the backside. The house had only one room, but it was big enough to have all of the necessary things.

I had too many questions to ask, but Nathaniel was already working on starting a fire in the fireplace, and I was frozen to the bones. I sat in one of the chairs near the fireplace and waited.

Outside, a few wolves howled again; they sounded a little closer. Fearfully, I looked at the moldy door, wondering how strong exactly was that door.

Nathaniel stood; a small fire was slowly building in the grate.

The fire's warmth washed over me; it felt like taking a nice, warm shower after having a snowball fight.

I let out a breath, and I sunk slowly back into the chair. I could somewhat see his face in the dim firelight: he was smiling. He looked at my clothes curiously again, "Who in the worlds wears a short skirt and thin pants in October?" His voice was slightly less gruff now.

"It wasn't October where I was. It was the middle of summer." I replied softly. I sneezed; maybe I was getting a 'lurgy'. He stood and rummaged in one of the boxes on the floor. "He didn't even say bless you," I thought quietly.

Eventually, he stood and threw thick, woolen blanket over to me. "Thank—." Some slashing sounds and yelling outside cut me off.

"Back! Get back you beasts!" Some more slashing sounds followed with some growling and snapping sounds. I wasn't sure then, but the voice sounded slightly feminine.

Nathaniel already had his gun pointed at the door.

A few more slashing sounds followed. After almost every slashing sound, there was either a thump or wolfish whimper.

The fighting continued outside for a while until one last slash was heard and silence fell.

Slowly, Nathaniel walked over to the door and opened it. I was still too afraid to move much, but from my seat I could see a person in mail armor leaning on a _huge _sword that was stuck into the ground.

"Why," the person tried to breathe slowly, "in bleeding hell do you live in the Blackwald?" The person's voice seemed irritated. I couldn't really see the person's figure from my point of view, but the voice sounded silky and feminine.

"You know full well why I live 'ere," he replied sharply. "What are _you_ doing in the Blackwald at night?"

"Trying to get to your stroppy arse." From my viewpoint, I could see her withdrawing her sword from the ground and strapping it to her back. "I told you before, and I'm telling you now. It isn't safe living out here anymore."

He sighs, "Fine, I'll let you drag me into the city tomorrow."

She opens her mouth for a moment. She closes it and looks at him curiously, "No row? Are you feeling well?"

"I'm fine. I just have a guest right now."

She looked over his shoulder and smiled before looking back at Nathaniel. She lowered her voice and I was pretty sure she said, "Finally caught a fit bird, eh? No wonder you're less stubborn."

I didn't know a lot of slang, but I was pretty sure I knew what that meant. I drew the woolen blanket a little closer to myself. It covered my face now.

Nathaniel snorted, "I didn't catch her. Just a guest."

She smiled, "_sure_." I heard her go around Nathaniel and into the house. I took the wool off my eyes and face, and I looked at her. She was smiling at me, "I'm Elvira Sharp. You can call me Ella though."

In the light of the fire, I could see that she wasn't very young. She was probably in her early thirties. She had a kind, round face, but she wasn't fat. She was quite fit, and somehow she wasn't toppling over from the huge sword that was on her back.

I smiled a little, and I was pretty sure my cheeks still had some colour on them, "Alna Smith." I stood and shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you." My stomach just then decided that this was a perfect time to remind me that I was still hungry. I blushed a little more. Ella turned to Nathaniel, "You still didn't feed her?"

"I was about to, but _someone_ rudely interrupted and brought wolves to my doorstep." He smirks pointedly at her.

She chuckled, "Oh, you cheeky little monkey." I giggled a little, "The wolves wouldn't have followed if _someone_ would've hunted them as he said he would." She smirks pointedly at him.

He opened his mouth to respond, but my stomach grumbled again. Ella put her hand up to silence him, "Your guest is still waiting for grub."

A blinked a few times, "Grub?" I knew grub was insect larva.

Nathaniel sighed and started looking for cooking pots in the mess next to the fireplace, "'T means food."

At that time, I did honestly think that I was hungry enough to eat baby insects, but I still honestly hoped grub didn't only mean insect larvae.

Ella smiled gently at me, "You're not from here, are you?"

I did hear Nathaniel snort just then. He found the pot and went outside for a moment. I shook my head, "No. I don't know where I am."

She looked gently at me as a mother would to her child. I frowned inwardly. I didn't like it when people treat me like a child, but I didn't want to be rude to Ella.

She opened her mouth to say something, but Nathaniel walked in then. "She doesn't know what Gilneas or Azeroth is." He carried the pot to the grate and hung it above the fire. It sloshed a little.

He looked at me for a moment, "I still reckon you've lived in a cave for most o' your life."

I smiled a little at the corners, "Cave dwellers can't speak." He opened his mouth to say something else, but I wasn't done talking.

My other dream like all dreams already started to fade from my memory. I didn't remember everything that the elf said. The only things I did remember were the ones I thought were important. But, even important things sometimes fade, so I figured then that I could tell these people about my dream before I completely forgot. I didn't believe there would be any consequences to that because I still believed I was dreaming.

I put my hand up to silence him, and he simply looked a little aggravated now. "All I remember is going for a walk in the park. I met Ven, and he started talking in my head." Both Nathaniel and Ella sat down in the chairs. Nathaniel was looking curiously at me now. "I remember touching some light and then falling. I met an elf." I racked my brain for the memory, "She… she said that I have to find a… a mage to send me home."

They exchanged a glance with each other, and I had an urge to say, "I'm not crazy," but that usually made you sound crazy.

Ella was the first one to speak, "We can bring you to the Gilneas University. There are plenty scholars and mages there." Nathaniel sighed. He didn't seem to like the idea of going to the University. Ella noticed this and said, "Oh, stop being a strop."

He looked at her, "I'm not stropping. I 'ave the right to sigh."

She snorted a little, "Not in front of a guest you don't."

I chuckled, "I don't mind sighing."

He smiled a little, "See. She doesn't mind my sighing."

"I mind," she smiled. "I'm a guest too."

He stood and walked over to the fire. He looked into the pot before he started rummaging in the cabinets on the walls. "You're more o' a nagging friend than a guest," he called back to her as he looked for something.

Ella shrugged a little in a way that said, "Meh, whatever." She looked at me and smiled, "If you're not from Azeroth, where are you from?"

I smiled back a little. I wasn't sure if I should tell her exactly where I'm from, but then I figured that there shouldn't be any consequences in a dream. "I'm from Georgia in North America."

She looked a little confused. She obviously never heard of Georgia or America. "You said you touched a light, and then you fell? Where did you fall to?"

I creased my forehead a little, "I… I don't know."

"That's alright, dear. We can ask the priests to help you remember."

I knew mages were like wizards, but I didn't know what mages did exactly. So I asked, "What… what are mages exactly?"

She smiled gently, "Mages are people that can control arcane magic."

I looked a little confused. Nathaniel was already putting something in the boiling water. He called back, "Mages are pale people who sit all day inside with their noses in a book."

Ella snorted; I chuckled, "I do that in winter. Does that mean I'm a mage?"

He continued putting things in the water. A delicious smell wafted over, and he replied, "It might."

I smiled and turned toward Ella, "What's the arcane?"

"The arcane is… hmm I never really asked that. It's basically their power, and it can do almost anything."

I still had so many questions, "Only mages use the arcane?"

She creased her forehead slightly, "No. All people that cast with spells use different branches of arcane." She looked at me, "I think mages, warlocks, druids, shamans, priests, paladins, and," she looked at Nathaniel, "hunters?" he nodded as he puts the soup into several bowls, "I think only these use the arcane. Some more than others."

Nathaniel walked over, "Only a few shots are arcane based." My stomach grumbled again as he put the bowl in front of me and gave me a spoon.

I basically wolfed it down. When I was done, I looked up to see Ella and Nathaniel chuckling. I smiled at them, "May I have seconds please?"

Nathaniel chuckled a little more, "Sure."

This time I ate slower, and I noticed that the soup tasted like a really spiced chicken… but with a kick. It tasted strange to say the least.

After I finished eating, I was full, and I finally noticed how tired I was. I yawned, and Ella smiled, "Bed time."

I chuckled, "No one said that to me in years." I looked around. There was only one bed.

Nathaniel sighed, "You can sleep in the bed. I'll find several blankets and sleep on the floor."

Ella chuckled, "Oh, no you won't. You'll be sleeping in the basement. I'm also a guest. Remember?"

Nathaniel grumbled a little, "You're more o' an annoying, nagging friend."

The next thirty minutes were spent watching how they went back and forth. Nathaniel was trying to change her mind. She just seemed to enjoy watching his effort.

In the end, I slept in the bed; she slept on the floor with many, many blanket; and Nathaniel slept in the cold, creepy basement. I still thought I was dreaming.

I thought I would wake up in my own bed in the morning.

How—very—wrong I was.

**A/N: Just for the record, I am not American. English is my third language. Also, this is a list of the British slang I either know, heard, or read. Correct me if I'm wrong.**

_**Some slang:**_

_**Stroppy/ strop-**__ sulky. To strop is to sulk. _

_**Stone the crows**__- old expression. Means about the same as 'Cor blimey'_

_**Swotting**__- to study hard_

_**Cram**__- to study hard before an exam_

_**Stuff**__- I'm not sure how to describe it. Stuff off is like sod off or fuck off. I'm pretty sure it has other uses._

_**Stonking/stonker**__- something huge or big is a stonker._

_**Tidy**__- neat. Or if a woman is attractive_

_**Smart**__- it's an adjective that means looking nice or sharp._

_**Sod**__- 'oh sod' or 'sod it' means about the same as 'oh damn/damnit/shit.' Used when one doesn't want to swear badly. 'old sod' means bastard or old git. 'sod off' means piss off._

_**Snog**__- a serious kiss. Or to kiss_

_**Smashing**__- if something is smashing, it means it is terrific._

_**Posh**__- roughly translates to high class._

_**Pissed**__- getting pissed means getting drunk. Getting angry is pissed off._

_**Owt**__- Yorkshire for anything._

_**Nowt**__- Yorkshire for nothing._

_**Nicked**__- something that has been stolen has been nicked. To nick is to steal_

_**Mate**__- friend_

_**Lurgy**__- if you have the lurgy it means you are ill._

_**Leg it**__- run, run for it._

_**Kip**__- sleep_

_**Gen**__- it means information. If you have the gen then you know what's going on._

_**Cor**__- expression of surprise, alarm, etc. it might be lengthened to 'Cor blimey' which is a variation of 'God blimey' or 'Gor blimey'. They are all a corruption of the oath 'God blind me'._

_**Codswallop**__- It means rubbish or nonsense._

_**Twee**__- Twee is a word you would generally hear older people say. It means__dainty__or quaint._

_**Boffin**__- some one who is really, really intelligent is a boffin._

_**Row- **__an argument_

_**Bird**__- I think it means a girl or woman. 'T might depend on the context._

_**Knackered**__- tired._

**Also, this is the silent conversation Ven and Nathaniel had while Alna was staring.**

**Conversation of Ven and Nathan**:

Ven growled, "Don't shoot."

The gun lowered and Nathan came. He looked at the girl and then Ven, "Who is she?"

"Alna. She's human."

Nathan snorted, "I can see that she's human." He looked at Alna curiously, "She's dressed strangely."

Ven chuckled. "Oh, what a keen eye you have." He said sarcastically.

Nathan looked at Ven, "Where 'ave you been the last 2 weeks?"

Ven's mouth dropped open, "two weeks? I've been gone for half a year!"

Nathan looked sharply at Ven, "No, you 'aven't. I may be a loner, but I can keep track of time." There was a pause, "Look around; it's still October." Ven looked and sniffed the air before he looked back a Nathan. "I've asked everyone if they've seen you, e'en Grandma Wahl!"

Ven laughed, "I really would've liked to see _that_." He continued laughing.

A smile split Nathan's face, "It's good to see you back, Ven." Then he looked back to the girl and cleared his throat. His face went back to normal.

**Honestly, read and review. My muse likes cookies, so **_**please**_** review.**

**Just click on the little button right here.**


	4. Morning

Chapter 4: Morning

A/N: Well, I have school right now; so I can't update as much as I would like. I will try to update as much as possible though, and I will work on my chapters every morning, afternoon, and evening for at least thirty minutes if I have time. Also, I don't want to put quotes around all Alna's specific thoughts, so all specific thoughts are going to probably be italicized. Also, if you took Tai Kwon Do, you know what I'm talking about. If you didn't, I'll explain how each stance looks like. Disclaimer: I don't own World of Warcraft.

HOO!

I woke up immediately and blinked my eyes several times. The house was very quiet, but the outside was not even close to quiet.

HOO!

_Probably an owl…_ I sighed quietly and felt around. My eyes didn't quite adjust to the almost absolute darkness yet. The bed didn't feel like mine. _Where…?_

I didn't remember what happened yesterday yet.

A thin sliver of moonlight filtered through the dusty window. I could make out the outline of the table, the fireplace, and a figure on the floor. It seemed to be moving rhythmically up and down. It took me a moment to realize that it was breathing. _What… er… Who…?_

I became slightly stiller at that moment. I was—very—confused.

HOO! A pause, then, HK-A'AH!

I jerked up. The sound sounded like a screechy bark or yap. It was… or at least seemed like it was right outside the house.

My hairs stood on the back of my neck, and I looked around first and then to the window with wide eyes.

The yap repeated several times. My mind and body were frozen with fear. I didn't notice that the breathing of the person on the floor became less deep.

After a while, the yapping or barking sounds stopped; but the forest was still far from quiet. My mind slowly pushed my fear into a tiny corner where it couldn't bother me much for the moment. The only thing left was confusion now.

I wracked my brain for what happened. Slowly, I started remembering. _This is supposed to be a dream… a dream. _I closed my eyes and pinched myself hard on both arm. _A dream. _

With my eyes closed, I breathed in deeply. What I smelled was the last thing I wanted to smell right now. I smelled the must, dust, and moss of the little house in the dark woods. I smelled the remnants of the weird soup I had yesterday. I smelled a little blood of the wolves from the not-so-young lady's sword.

I didn't want to open my eyes. I willed myself that this is a dream. I willed myself that if I pinch hard enough I would get back home. _This is a dream… it isn't real… I probably shouldn't have eaten that snack before going to sleep at home… that's why I have this weird dream. It's a dream… a dream…_

My eyes were still closed, so I didn't notice that the person's breathing went back to deep already.

Minutes passed, and I didn't feel myself sliding into my soft, large bed. I didn't feel the cool, clean air in my nose. I didn't feel the hum of the A/C. I didn't feel myself hugging my favorite pillow. I didn't feel the small breathes of my cats near my neck or chest. I didn't feel the protection of all the charms I had in my room.

All I felt was my butt on the lumpy cloth bed. I felt the bagginess of the borrowed nightdress, the itchy wool of the blanket, and the only two charms that I wore at all times: My gold, chain necklace and my simple, small, golden, leaf-like earrings.

I still smelled the mustiness of the house, and the odd dog-like smell of the bed. I heard the deep breathing of the person on the floor and the odd sounds of the forest.

I didn't want to open my eyes; I didn't want to be here; I didn't want to cry. I couldn't stop it though. The tears came, and they escaped through the corners of my eyes. They left a thin tear trail down my cheeks, to my chin, and down to the blanket.

I was determined not to make a sound. I didn't like it when people saw me crying. They treated me like a child then, and I hated it.

I already remembered everything that happened yesterday. I remembered Ven, Nathaniel, Ella, and the elf. I didn't quite remember the conversation with the elf though. _At least I know that place was a dream… if I can't remember it. _I thought a little bitterly.

HOO… Crick, Crick… HOO.

_And life goes on… not even caring. _I slowly hugged my knees to my chest and cried a little longer. I wasn't sobbing though.

Tears still silently flowed down my cheeks, but I did slowly open my eyes eventually. _There's nothing I can do with closed eyes. _I looked around once again and started thinking of what I can do.

My mind went into a flurry of arguments. _Stay and wait. _

_For what? _

_For these people to help me. _

_Why? _

_They're my only chance. _

_You don't even know where they are taking you tomorrow… _

_What choice do I have? _

_Run? _

_Where to? I don't even know where I am._

I held my head as I thought. My chin rested on my knees. Not many tears escaped my eyes now.

_Try to find another arch with light. _

_Where could I find it? I don't even know where I am. _

_Still I could try. _

_And be eaten by hungry animals? No! _

_And what would you do if these people took you to cannibals or something? _

_I would run. _

_Where? _

_Somewhere._

I argued many points with myself for what seemed like hours. The argument only quieted when I saw Ella stir on the floor. She was waking. I stopped hugging my knees, and I swung my legs over the side of the bed.

_Enough! I don't have any good choices but to trust these people and see what happens. Now be quiet, mind._

It was still fairly dark outside. It was still before dawn. I quickly wiped at my face to try to wipe away the dry tear tracks. _Hopefully, she won't see my face in this dimness._

Ella sat up and stretched with her hands above her head. She yawned loudly before turning slightly toward me. I could see her mouth move into what looked like a smile, "Good morning!" She said happily. "Sleep well?" I hesitated for a second before nodding. She paused and looked at me for a moment. She probably noticed that something is wrong. "How long were you up?" she asked softly.

"I… I don't know." I hated how my voice showed that I was still in turmoil.

She stood slowly and came over to me. She sat next to me and pulled me into a hug. "It's alright, dear. We'll go to the Gilneas University today. We'll find a mage and get you home." She said gently.

I didn't say anything as I blinked a few times to stop the oncoming tears. I didn't want to cry in front of an almost complete stranger. Like I said, I didn't like being treated like a baby.

After a while, she let me go. Thankfully, not one drop escaped my eyes. "You could go back to sleep or do some exercises with me," she murmured softly.

At the time, I needed to do anything but think about my predicament. Thinking usually led to confusion and turmoil, which sometimes led to crying or self-pity.

She let go and looked at me. I didn't look back at her; I looked down into the backs of my hands, which were resting on my lap. _What can I do…?_

I didn't answer for a moment. "Exercise." I finally mumbled. I needed to do something that would keep my mind from thinking again. Thinking equals turmoil. Turmoil equals confusion, homesickness, and sadness. I needed to put on a brave face to face this world. That's just how my brain works.

She strongly patted me on the back. It didn't hurt, but it was a little too strong and unexpected. I didn't buckle over, thankfully. She beamed at me, "Exercise will help you focus." She stood, "We should probably change first." She looked around in the still dark house and walked over to what looked like one of the drawers in the wall. _How can she even see anything in here?_

She opened the drawer and felt around inside it. She muttered, "Dust… Dust… Wait… what's this?" I heard a faint squeaking sound from within the drawer right before she retracted her hand. Before turning toward me she muttered to herself, "Nathan should really clean his house more often."

She turned and smiled slightly to me, "Our nightdresses will do for today." She turned and unlocked the door slowly and walked outside. After a moment, she poked her head through the door, "Coming?"

I slid off the bed, "Yah." I walked outside slowly and breathed deeply. The outside smelled a lot different from the house. It smelled fresh, crisp, full of life, and like dew. I had a hard time believing that this was the same forest I walked in last night.

The outside was slightly lighter than the inside. I could see a faint pink light on the east side of the sky. I couldn't see the horizon east because of the trees that faced the house. I couldn't see the west horizon because of the steep wall of rock behind the house.

Ella was already stretching. I did the same.

Silently, we stretched on the soft, wet grass for a while. The workout did stop me from thinking about my predicament. Instead, I thought about the soft clicks in my bones every time I stretched. I knew how to do stretches since I did go to martial arts years ago. I was completely and utterly out of practice. "I haven't stretched this much since I was 13." I mumbled.

Ella chuckled, "Don't overdo it."

I smiled slightly, "I won't. I w-,"

CLACK

I froze. A soft, "Aow," escaped my mouth. My leg clicked painfully at the uppermost joint (the one that connects the leg to the main body). It wasn't displaced of broken. It just hurt sharply for a moment. I relaxed slowly, and the pain slowly left.

Concerned, Ella looked at me and stopped doing her stretches, "Are you alright?"

I slowly stopped sitting with the bottoms of my feet touching; I crisscrossed my legs and smiled at Ella, "I'm fine."

Ella stood and grinned at me, "Good. Now we can exercise."

I blinked. _Stretching is exercising._ I also stood and looked at Ella.

"Have you ever fought someone? Or learned how to protect yourself?"

I blinked again, "I learned martial arts years ago. I can't remember the proper way to do half the kicks and forms."

Ella stood facing me with her feet shoulder-length apart. She reminded me somewhat of a military person standing in line. Also, this reminded me of my martial arts masters. She looked extremely disciplined. "Can you show me the half that you do remember?"

I looked at her, "Why?"

She smiled gently at me, "Just in case."

_In case what? _I sighed, but I didn't ask. I figured that it's better not to know. Ignorance is always so much easier than knowing.

I stood in my walking stance. My feet were a walking step distance apart. They were not right behind each other. My left leg was to the left behind the right.

The first kick I did was a front-snap-kick with my left leg. My foot reached well above my head. _Huh… this is what stretching does to me. I should stretch more._

Ella kept watching as I switched my stance so that my right leg was diagonally behind the left. I did the same kick with my right leg.

I honestly didn't care that my underwear showed every time I kicked. We were both female. It would've been different if at least one male were around.

Ella watched silently. Only when I was done doing one kick on each she asked, "What's that kick used for?"

I broke my stance and turned to her, "Uhm," I thought for a moment. "It's used to break someone's jaw or break his or her neck. If I aim a little lower I can hit a man's," I smiled a little, "Groin area."

Ella chuckled, "Any other uses?"

None came to mind, so I shook my head, "None come to mind."

I showed her many kicks. Some kicks I wasn't sure how to do, but I did them eventually. I did notice the mistakes in some of them. She asked questions like, "What's it used for? When can you use it?" and, "How is it called?" She did sit down somewhere in the middle of my demonstration.

I started feeling a little lighter with every kick.

She seemed completely curious. After I showed all of the kicks, punches, hand motions, stances, and blocks that I could remember, she said, "This is interesting," she smiled, "All of it looks so different from any fighting I've ever seen."

I smiled as I remembered some of my most favorite form from the six that I learned. "There is one last thing I remember… It's called Taegeuk Sa Jan or form four."

She nodded, "Alright."

I went through the entire form quickly and without error (or I didn't notice any). Every kick and punch in the form held meaning. Every stance was stable and hard. There was determination and resolve in my face. With every movement that I made in the form, I thought a word in my mind. _I will get home. I will take a chance and follow these people._

It almost felt like the form urged me into believing these people.

The sky was by this time lighter. The birds were singing with life now. They stopped singing with sorrow and creepiness. All the nocturnal animals went to sleep now, so I didn't have to worry about that strange yap anymore.

I finished my form, and I stood in the last stance for a moment before relaxing. Ella clapped several times. She looked as if Christmas had come early, "Can you tell me about this form?"

I grinned as I tried to catch my breath. My head felt so much lighter now. "It is one of the first forms taught in Tai Kwon Do." She obviously didn't know what Tai Kwon Do was, so I continued, "Tai Kwon Do is the martial art that I learned… or partially learned."

"What do you mean?"

I shifted to my other foot, "Eh… I didn't finish the training… I… ah… quit after I learned most of the basics."

She raised an eyebrow slightly, "Why did you quit?"

I shuffled my feet a little, "I didn't have time… and I didn't see the point." I paused, "There was almost no chance that I would need to know how to defend myself."

"You always need t' know how to defend yourself," a gruff voice said over my shoulder. I jumped up slightly. I didn't even hear anyone approaching me.

Ella smiled a little at the corners. "Good morning." I turned around and saw Nathaniel with Ven at his side. Nathan's hair seemed a little damp. I no longer saw the mud, leaves, and blood in his hair.

"'Morning." I mumbled.

He grinned widely at me with an amused expression. "'Morning." I wasn't sure, but I thought Ven had a smug expression on his face. He looked at Nathan with a look that clearly said, "I told you so."

I smile crept up on my face when I saw the wolf looking at Nathan with that expression.

She looked at Nathaniel with a look that would make anyone feel guilty, "How long were you watching?"

He shuffled his feet slightly and looked down a little guiltily. He looked like a schoolboy who was caught doing something he shouldn't. "Ah… five kicks before she did that form." I pulled my dress a little closer to myself. He saw this and added, "I didn't see anything."

I had the biggest urge to sarcastically say, "You didn't? Really?" I held my tongue and instead thought, _never trust a __young__ man about perverted acts. _

Ella sighed a little before looking toward the sky, "We should get going if we'd like to get to the city by noon."

The next thirty minutes were spent putting on normal clothes. It took Ella and me about ten fifteen minutes to put on our normal clothes. Ella put her armor in a large pack that she slung over her shoulder. I put on my sandals, pants, skirt, and shirt from yesterday. I also pulled my hand through my hair to attempt to comb my long, wavy, dirty blonde locks.

Ella did the same to her dark, dark red, shoulder-length hair. She then tied her hair into a messy bun. She didn't use a band; she simply twisted her hair into some weird knot that held up.

For the first fifteen minutes, Nathaniel didn't do anything to get ready. He just waited outside with his back to the windows. When Ella came out and saw him in the old coat, she started telling him to dress into something more appropriate for the city. "You have to wear something more civilized." She looked at the ragged coat, "This is just too ripped." She looked at him, "You honestly need to take care of your belongings better." Ven simply sat beside the doorway and watched us with his tongue out.

He sighed, "I'm fine with what I'm wearing. If I don't care, why should you?"

She frowned, "We're going to the city university. I'd rather not attract too much attention." She looked at him and added softly, "Via won't be very impressed if she saw you in that coat."

His face became hard. He didn't say a word as he turned and passed us quickly to enter the house. Ven whined softly as he watched his master walk into the house.

He came back out within six minutes. He had put on a different coat on. This one seemed simpler. It was a black coat the came down to the knees. It had several pockets in it, but they weren't made as well as the last coat. This one wasn't ripped or muddy.

He did bring a pack and his weapons with him, just like Ella. Under his coat, he was probably wearing his armor.

He strode past us and started walking toward the southeast based on the light. Ven silently trotted along next to Nathaniel. We followed after them.

I really wanted to know who Via was, where exactly we were going, how the mages could help me, and many other things. The questions flew around in my mind, almost making me doubt my decision; but I already made my choice. I wasn't about to back down.

_Silly future… it's so unclear._

A/N: Well, here it is. Sorry again that it took so long. Also, as an extra note, the form Taegeuk Sa Jan is supposed to mean Thunder/inciting movement. It's been almost a year since I last went to Tai kwon do. Another thing, I check my traffic stats for the story; and after every update I do, there are at least one or two people coming on my story everyday for about a week or two. Thank you, whoever you are. I will try to update at least once or twice a month.

I do check the reviews. Please, review.


	5. Stormglen Village Part 1

Chapter 5: Stormglen Village Part 1

**A/N: Hi people! Sorry for the long, long wait. I have several good reasons why I didn't post. First, I had and still have science fair. Second, I was really into Mass Effect games. Third, I was also into replaying Dragon Age games… and I had inspiration to write something for Dragon Age… (I'm not going to post that for a while!) **

**Well, I'm back! And that's good news. This writing is my break time from very, very detailed science fair project.**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own WoW. You know how it goes.**

My feet… God, my feet… They hurt _so_ badly.

I actually felt shame for myself… we've only been walking for an hour. _Then again,_ I rationalized in my mind, _I've never walked through this kind of path for an hour before._

I snorted inwardly then. _Path… this isn't even close to being a path._ That was true enough. We've been walking in almost complete silence through the forest with all the gargantuan roots sticking up from the ground, the thorny bushes, the slippery, wet ground with fallen, crunchy leaves, and the spider webs hanging overhead. _Considering how big the webs are…_ I shuddered outwardly.

Ella noticed, "We're almost to our first stop, dear." She smiled warmly at me, "You'll be able to rest there while I report to Captain Anderson."

A cold, crisp, and earthy breeze swept the leaves up and made them flutter around like dancing fairies. Pulling my gray jacket a little closer to myself, I asked, "Who's that?"

"Well, his full title is Captain of Stormglen's Guard Anderson, but that's a mouthful. He's simply the captain of the guard in the village."

In all the movies that I've seen about medieval ages (because that's where I thought I was right now), I've never seen a guard in a village. "Why does a village need a guard? Why not a Night Watch instead?"

She paused slightly, considering her answer, "The king wishes for everyone to be safe."

_From what?_ I didn't ask, once again, because I—_really_—didn't want to know. Instead, I sighed, and we continued walking in silence. Occasionally, my feet still groaned objections.

I was also pretty sure I heard Nathaniel mumble (or grumble, more like), "The king wishes a lot of things lately." That was the first time he talked for the entire walk.

Ella sighed quietly and continued looking around, as she and Nathaniel were doing for the past hour. Nathaniel had his hand resting upon one of his swords on his waist for the entire walk. After the mention of Via, whoever she was, Nathaniel simply speed walked while looking around the forest in what looked like a habit of precaution. Occasionally, I caught the shadow of a rueful expression on his face.

Ven had disappeared somewhere towards the beginning of the walk, but I had the feeling that he was nearby. It was a comforting feeling, even though that seemed somewhat weird. _Since when was the presence of a __**huge**__ wolf comforting?_

…

Soon enough, just like Ella had said, I started hearing the noises of a bustling village like a distant whinny of a horse, the distant voices of chattering women, haggling men, and playful children before we left the tree line.

Past the last, dark brown trees, on top of a hill, I could see the first houses. I couldn't make them out well enough to judge them yet, so I followed Nathaniel and Ella up the hill. Ven reappeared while we were halfway up the slope, and I was half out of breath. _Well, I'm out of shape._ I thought to myself.

"Almost there, dear." Ella smiled at me. She didn't even seem the least bit tired from walking up the slope in her armor. _How…? _Nathaniel didn't seem tired at all either, and I was reminded of his lean arms and legs. _I honestly feel like the most unfit person here…_

At the top of the hill, I almost gaped at the village. It was… well, it was a perfect symbol for life moving along quickly. Children played (some of them [the boys] threw mudballs at each other), most women talked, and most men haggled with merchants near horse-drawn carts filled with goods. Almost everyone was carrying something, be it a bag, basket, or a child.

"Welcome to Stormglen village Town Square." Ella said as she swept her hand toward the village.

My eyes swept over the village, absorbing as many details I could.

All of the older women in the town wore dresses from thick cloth, and some of them wore shawls. The younger women seemed more mixed in terms of clothing. Some wore pants, probably several layers of shirts, and a long coat; and some wore dresses just like their mothers. But, the younger girl's dresses seemed more 'petite'. The clothing seemed to depend on what they were doing. I mean, most of the 'dressed up' girls didn't seem like they ever lifted a shovel in their life. The ones that wore pants seemed more like 'tomboys'.

All normal men, obviously, wore pants, shirts, and thick coats. All the clothing seemed to be made of heavy and sturdy material. Some men stood around or patrolled in mostly matching, mail armor. All of the armored men had a weapon of some sort; most had one large sword (like Ella's), or a smaller sword and shield. Only one person had a huge axe. He was bigger than the other ones, and burlier too. He had dark hair, and tanned skin. He didn't seem to socialize much with anyone; he just watched. _They are probably guards. _

Everyone seemed to know everyone, for they all greeted each other by name. And, everyone had a similarity to one another, the kind of similarity that is there in same races or cultures of people who didn't mix with others much. All the merchants seemed related because they all had thick, black hair, pale skin, and a kind of nose that points slightly down. Also, they all seemed a little richer and more regal than the villagers. _I've never seen nobles, but they seem almost like nobles to me._

The buildings looked… Victorian? I wasn't then, and I'm not now, an expert in architecture. They looked sturdy and well built; they seemed to be made for cold, wet weather, and they looked medieval. _I wonder if I've walked into a fairy tale…_ I laughed inwardly. _If so, where's Prince Charming?_

About five big, public buildings were around a relatively small plaza. Past these buildings, to the north and west, I could see three or two-story residential buildings lined up almost side-by-side on the cobblestone streets. I could tell that there was a cliff at the end the streets to the west because they just ended abruptly. There weren't many residential buildings in the village, maybe around fifteen in all. _Maybe most people live away from the village._

Caw, Caw-Caw!

I looked up and saw some black crows sitting on the roofs of buildings. Ven growled softly at them, and I had a small urge to caw back. I didn't see the urge as weird because when I was much younger I used to caw with crows, meow with cats, bark with dogs, and sing with birds. _Then again, I haven't had the urge since I was nine, eight years ago._

"Those crows have been just sitting there, watching, lately," Ella commented. "Some of the guards are getting complaints."

"Crows 'ave ne'er hurt anyone before." Nathaniel replied as he patted Ven's head lightly.

"Unless they attack in flocks." I said quietly.

"That's unlikely." He retorted.

"That's still a possibility," I smiled slightly, "but, unlikely unless provoked."

He sighed and seemed to want to roll his eyes toward the sky, and Ella chuckled.

…

We went to the one-story building, which had its back facing the forest and its side facing a path to a windmill and then to the forest. You see, we came up the slope to the main road, which was made from worn-down, gray cobblestones. Anyway, the windows in this building had metal bars, and there was a bigger concentration of guards here.

"Hi Ella! I see you've managed to get Nathan out of the forest." One of the guards with a friendly round face said.

"I think that's a record," another one with bushy, dark eyebrows said. They both had dark red hair, just like Ella's. _Maybe they're siblings._

Ella smiled, "He was less stubborn this time."

They noticed me and smiled. "And who's this?" the bushy-eyebrows one asked Ella. "Don't tell me she's the reason why he was less stubborn." His eyes twinkled with a smile.

"I'm right 'ere, you know," Nathaniel said.

"Me too." I mumbled. _Why do older people love embarrassing the young? It's like their hobby or something._

"It is their hobby, at least for the Sharps," Ven's voice said in my head.

_Wait; can you hear everything I think? _I thought at Ven.

"Not everything," his voice echoed reassuringly in my mind.

I sighed softly, "I'm Alna, and I was his very lost guest."

"Lost?" the one with the round face asked, and I nodded because I honestly didn't want to explain everything again.

"_Very_ lost." Nathaniel said softly.

"Anyway, I need to speak with the Captain." Ella said.

The bushy-eyebrows one nodded, "Alna can't go in, though, because of all the new security measures an' all."

"That's alright, Nathan has to buy some lunch. She can go along."

Nathan sighed quietly.

A/N: I note: I'm (for the thousandth time) learning about foreshadowing in language arts class. Anyway, I'm interested. Did any of you see any foreshadowing in this chapter, or the ones before that? Based on your foreshadowing, what do you think will happen soon or later? Even if your theory makes no sense, I still want to hear it. Either put your theory in the reviews or PM me. I also note that Stormglen village was expanded a lot, and changed just a little, just like the rest of the land will be.

I split the chapter into two parts because first I didn't want to make you wait any longer, and second it's 2AM right now. And, I need to start on a math project... The second part of the chapter will be up in a few days from now (a week at most).

My muse likes cookies, and sometimes my muse needs to be kicked off its lazy arse to avoid almost four months of waiting for ONE chapter. Please review. ^.^


	6. Stormglen Village part 2

Chapter 6: Stormglen Village part 2

A/N: Hi all, as promised this chapter is up relatively quickly (a week, just as promised). Anyway, here it is!

_It's so crowded here! How in hell do people even walk here?_ Well, it was crowded. Nathaniel chose to walk right through the heart of the crowd, near the carts in the middle of the plaza. _You can't swing a cat here without hitting ten people._ I was having trouble keeping up to Nathaniel because I had to duck and weave around people to get to him. People seemed to pause slightly and give him a small path to walk through. _Maybe it's because of Ven. He is a giant wolf._ For me, they didn't even seem to see me. _Jeez this is annoying… just like being back in middle school._

I ducked to the side again to avoid being hit by a basket filled with… _is that silk? O so pretty…_ I shook my head. _Shut it girly mind!_ Because of my pause, I completely lost sight of Nathaniel and Ven. _Ah…_ I looked around. _Well this is bad…_ I looked around again, looking for any sign of Ven, because it's so much easier to see a white wolf in a horde of people.

I felt a little hand on my wrist just as a happy voice simply said, "You're lost." I almost jumped in fright because the touch was so unexpected, and I almost didn't hear her voice in the loudness of the crowd. Looking down, I saw a little girl with eyes like charred wood and light brown hair looking up at me with a smile. She looked like she was around seven years old, and she was wearing a simple dress of faded blue and white. It was splattered in mud. _How didn't she get trampled in this crowd? _"I can help you," she said with a large grin. "But," _how did I know there'd be a 'but'? _"You have to buy me a cookie!"

"But, I don't have any money," I said with a slight frown.

"Ask Nafaniel," she said with a happy expression. She had a lisp, so instead of saying 'Nathaniel', she said 'Nafaniel'.

"I'm not sure he'll buy a cookie… but I'll ask," I replied.

She pulled on my hand, "Come on."

Following a little girl that was pulling on my hand through a bunch of shopping people proved to be a new level of difficult, but, at the same time, it was easier than trying to keep Nathaniel in sight.

Before long, we cleared the bulk of the crowd, and I saw Nathaniel, looking annoyed, and Ven, looking smug like he won a bet _again_.

"Can you keep up, please?" Nathaniel asked.

"I was trying to," I shot back.

"Nafaniel, Nafaniel," the girl was trying to get his attention. He seemed to have noticed her already before, but the girl didn't seem to know that. "Nafaniel."

He sighed softly and crouched so that he wouldn't have to look down much to see the girl, "Hello, Nenny." He _almost_ smiled, but he still looked annoyed with me.

"You have to buy me a cookie!"

"Why?"

"'Cause I helped fhe lady find you again," she said in an almost sing-song voice, happily before she looked at Ven. "And, I helped Venny, _again_." Nenny seemed to be enjoying the annoyed look on Nathaniel's face. Ven seemed to be suppressing a wolfish laugh. It didn't take a genius to figure out why everyone was laughing, so I, also, chuckled.

"Fine." Nathaniel finally said. "Let's go."

"Yay!" She cheered.

Before we actually started walking again, Nathaniel turned to me and added, "Try to keep up."

I smiled just slightly, "I will. I will."

After that, Nathaniel gave Nenny a silver coin to buy her cookie. Before she skipped away happily, she said, "Granny says to duck when Genn asks. She also said to come for tea again soon." I was a little confused at that, but I shrugged it off when Nathaniel didn't comment.

Then, we (Nathaniel, Ven, and I) then went on. _At least I'm keeping up with him._ I thought with a smile._ Then again, there aren't as many people here… They're all giving me strange looks._ I felt a little self-conscious then, which was really rare for me.

We stopped at the doorway to the second largest public building. _An inn, maybe? _The sign above the doorway had some large, familiar letters, which I couldn't really read, above a picture of a tankard overflowing with some… beer? I never drank alcohol you see, so I wouldn't know.

"You wait here. You, too, Ven. Make sure she doesn't get lost." Nathaniel said right before he went inside.

I rolled my eyes a little. "I'm sure I won't get lost if I just stand here," I mumbled to myself.

"Who knows," Ven's voice echoed in my head. "Strange things have been happening lately. I don't even know how I ended up in… wherever I was."

"Hmm…" It was like this world wanted me to know what strange and—probably—dangerous things have been happening here, but I was still trying _not _to know. I sighed and just listened to group of young women gossiping not far from here. _God… this is boring. Now I see why I didn't have too many girly friends. How could they talk about __one__ boy for… ten minutes?_

Ven snorted next to me, "Five, actually."

_Close enough! It's boring enough to be counted as ten._

He snorted again, "I'm simply going to assume you were never infatuated with anyone."

_Eh…_ My cheeks grew a little warm._ Of course, I __was__…_

Ven was grinning from ear to ear and on the verge of laughing again.

_You enjoy teasing people. Don't you?_

"Don't we all?"

I smiled a little._ True._

I went back to listening to the girls, but I missed most of their words because I wasn't really paying much attention until, "Via…"

Immediately I perked my head a little up, listening more. The girls were agreeing on something, but I still missed some of the words. I also heard, "Missing… skulking… is… the…crows…"

I wasn't even sure that was what I heard. _Ah, well… I might find out eventually._

Just then, Nathaniel came out of the inn and quickly walked toward the heart of the people. "Wait there," he called back.

"Okay…" So, I slumped back on the wall. _I probably shouldn't slouch… Heh, I can actually almost hear what my mom would say if she saw me slouching. I miss her…_

I sighed again and let my mind wander away from sad thoughts. That was the way I stopped myself from feeling too sad. Somehow, my mind wandered to a song that I—still—remember how it was stuck in my head for two months when I was in middle school. _Oh no. If I start humming or singing it in my head now, it'll be stuck there __again__… But, it's such a good song… Well, I have nothing better to do._ So, I started humming _Greensleeves_ until Nathaniel came back holding a long, dark gray coat.

"'Ere." He said, handing it to me.

I blinked, "Eh? For me?"

He smiled a little, "Who else is 'ere?" Ven attempted to bark (wolves can't bark), "Other than Ven." He paused a little, "You wouldn't want to catch a lurgy."

I smiled, "Probably not." Then, I took it from him and put it on top of my jacket. "Thank you." The long coat was very snug on me, and it reached a little below my knees. I immediately felt warmer, and the inside of it felt soft but just a little scratchy. I looked down at it to examine the material more closely. It shone cleanly and smoothly… _like silk, maybe?_ There was a small, simple, golden, embroidery pattern near the ends. I felt a little opulent, and I smiled at the thought. I looked back up, "Thank you," I repeated, "but it looks expensive."

"Not at all. It just cost three gold coins." He replied with a smile. Ven seemed to choke back a cough when he heard the amount.

_Eh…_ I didn't know the currency here, but that still sounded expensive. "Ehm… Well, thank you nonetheless."

He seemed like he was about to say more, but Ella appeared behind Nathaniel with two horses. One looked like a great, fat, brown, spoiled pony. The other one looked like a proud (maybe a little _too_ proud) warhorse. "I have wonderful news, you two." She was grinning. _She's going to say something mischievous now… oh no…_

"We no longer have to walk all the way to the city, meaning we can get there in half a day."

"But, there are only two horses," I said.

She grinned even more, "You two will be sharing the pony."

_Eh… EH? _

A/N: And here we go. Hope you enjoyed it. Review, please. I'm going to sleep, now. G'night!


	7. To Gilneas!

Ch. 7

A/N: Hehe, wasn't that a nice predicament I left the two of them in the last chapter? Sorry for the brutally long wait again. I had science fair, and I got first place in regional level *high five* ^.^ (and I'm going to state level next month)!

Anyway, here you go.

_Awh, man… this couldn't get any more awkward… _My back was facing Nathaniel's chest and his hands held the reins in front of me. He felt really tense, if my over-hyper nerves on my back were any judges. I felt my face become hot the moment Ella said that we were going to share the pony, and it _still_ didn't cool down. _If there ever were a time when a girl could die from awkwardness and embarrassment, this would be it. _

At first, I tried to sit behind him so that I wouldn't really have to keep in contact with him the _entire_ ride. But, the pony disagreed and so did my butt. I just couldn't keep on the damn horse, and it didn't appreciate my completely wrong way of trying to climb on it. _I can't blame myself for that… I rode a camel once, but that was a __completely__ different scenario. And, I was like… seven when I rode that camel... That was __the worst__ birthday gift ever. _I shuddered as I remembered what that camel did. Nathaniel must've felt it because he became even tenser for a moment before I was pulled a little closer. _Jesus! _He must've thought I was a little cold. _Well, if I was, I'm not anymore. _

Even if Ella and Ven were ahead of us, they seemed to be aware of everything that was happening behind them. It was either that, or they were sharing a really funny joke. I didn't see or hear them laughing at the time, though, because I was too busy trying to keep calm. I sighed, and tried to think of ways to break the awkwardness. _I mean: I probably am going to be around him a lot if he's going to help me find a way home…_

It was actually amazingly hard to think of anything in this situation, other than what my over-hyper nerves on my back were telling me. _For the love of… Shut up nerves! _That didn't really work, at all. We've only been riding for like… thirty minutes or so, and I was already feeling really uncomfortable.

"Ten minutes, actually." Ven's voice corrected me softly in my mind. I did wonder at that moment if there is a way to keep my mind completely private from Ven. I did know that I became even more embarrassed at that moment. But, I was distracted from that a moment later when I heard Nathaniel clear his throat behind me.

"So…" he started awkwardly, "Where exactly are you from?"

I usually didn't like talking to someone when my back is facing him or her, but this was the exception. My instinct, though, did make me start turning toward him. I wasn't able to do much on the horse, much less even, since I was pulled close to him. What I did do was more like a wriggle. I hated being a young girl at that moment.

"I…" I stuttered for a moment, "I'm from Georgia in North America." When he didn't reply, I continued. "I lived in the middle of Georgia, so… the land there had many hills and trees. It is unbearably hot during the summer, and really wet and cool during the winter. I lived near one of the cities in the suburbs around the cities. Cities and towns dominate miles and miles of Georgia and North America." He was listening quietly, so I continued. "Most people are completely dependent on machines and inventions. But, there are some places that are untouched by machines and cities where either no human lives or tribal humans live."

"What do you mean by 'tribal humans'."

"Uhm… well, most humans accepted the inventions like… cars, refrigerators, microwaves…" I stopped because I somehow knew he didn't know what those were. So, I started explaining in not much detail because I really didn't know the technical things behind all these things.

My explanations led to more questions and more answers. We must've talked for hours (because I could see the sun move across the sky), but the best part was that it seemed that both of us forgot about the awkwardness (mostly). Basically, all my answers summed up into a mini crash course on the history I knew. He seemed, as far as my back could tell, amazed at the information. He also felt a little… _What is that feeling you get for things that seem too foreign to you? Shock? No, no… Uhm… curiosity? Maybe. _

"Now, it's your turn," I said when I was done explaining for now. "Tell me everything about this place."

He smiled behind me (I didn't know that of course), "What do you want to know?"

"Uhm…" I still really wanted to face him as we talked. _It's so damn awkward talking to open space and hearing a response behind me!_ "Well, what is this place exactly?"

"This is Gilneas." He began. The next while was spent listening to him talk about the geography and how the king built a wall, completely disconnecting Gilneas from the rest of the continent, other human nations, and the alliance.

"Why?" I asked.

"For safety reasons," he answered simply. Then he continued explaining. He seemed to know a lot about what happened outside of Gilneas before the wall was constructed. After that time period, he started describing life here. Since I still thought I was in a more or less medieval time, I thought that only nobles and scholars should know that much history. _Actually, even at home normal people shouldn't know this much…_ I was amazed to say it simply. This world seemed… wonderful and… unique. It seemed less dull and more dangerous than my home. _Ahaha,_ I laughed quietly in my head. _Didn't I once day dream when I was younger about somehow ending up in a medieval place?_

The talking continued for a long, long while, until it became dark and Ella and Ven stopped and waited for us. We stopped talking when we noticed.

Ella looked at us. She smirked. Immediately, I realized that I was still really close to Nathaniel. I immediately sat up straight, moving as far away as I could from him, which wasn't much. He sighed.

"We could stop to camp, or we could continue riding. The city is only three hours away."

I felt him look around. I notice for the first time that we were in a rather swampy area. _At least we're no longer in the Blackwald… Then again, this place looks just as creepy. Maybe it's just the night?_

"We should keep moving," he answered.

"I agree." I said as I looked around again. "I don't like swamps. More importantly, I don't like being potential food for whatever lives in swamps," I added in a slight murmur.

They both snorted at that. "Don't worry," Ella began. " Nothing is suicidal enough to actually attack three humans and a wolf."

I laughed softly. _Considering what already happened to me... _"The world has a wicked sense of humor," I said and then added more softly, "Everything is quite possible."

She smiled slightly, "Don't worry," she repeated softly. "Anything mad enough to try will be quite dead before it does any harm." I nodded a little.

We were already moving forward; I only noticed because my ass protested, again. _Now this is why I hated that camel so many years ago…_ Ella was slowly moving ahead of us with Ven, leaving me alone with Nathaniel, again, in silence. The air didn't feel awkward this time, to me at least, although that might have been because of my wandering thoughts of home and what my family would be doing… and what my sweetheart would be doing…

I roundhouse kicked my thoughts of home goodbye before I could depress myself too much with homesickness. Instead, I tried to find something else to occupy my mind, so I looked around, trying to find interest in the creepy swamp. That didn't work, so I looked down at my fingers and started cleaning my nails, but that just bored me half to death in about five minutes, especially since I had no water to fully clean my hands and nails.

_When bored, hum a song… but I might creep out Nathaniel… But, I'm about ready to start bashing my head against the horse out of boredom… that'll definitely creep him out more. What if I just hum the song in my head? That way, I'm not bored, and he's not freaked out!_

Happy with my compromise, I smiled a little before letting my eyes become unfocused as I started going through every song I ever liked (basically, just about every soundtrack of every game I've ever played, and just about every song by Two Steps From Hell).

Time passed A LOT quicker this way because of two reasons. First, the night seemed to become darker, and second, even with my unfocused eyes, I could make out the outline of the walls of a medium-sized city. That abruptly ended the songs in my head so that I could stare with focused eyes at the magnificent sight.

As we got closer, I could make out the outline of each block that created the wall. I could also make out the silhouette of a man moving on the ramparts. "Oy, who goes there?" he called out.

A/N: Well, that's about it for now. I wasn't really happy with this chapter, and I feel like it should be longer… Anyway, the next chapter will be up in either a few weeks or a few months (yeah… sorry about my erratic schedule…).

**Anyway, don't forget to review! **

**Please!**


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